Share

Monfils squeaks into Dubai last four

Dubai - Gael Monfils continued his charmed run at the Dubai Championships on Thursday after battling into the semi-finals with a 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 win over qualifier Ricardas Berankis.

The Frenchman, who came into the tournament in good form after beating Stan Wawrinka in Rotterdam this month to win his eighth career title, will face one of Hubert Hurkacz and Stefanos Tsitsipas in Friday's semi-final after the unexpectedly tight win.

Unseeded Monfils, 32, revealed that he needed to get angry with himself to get over the line after missing chances to close out a straight-sets victory when a set up and leading the second 5-4.

"It was tough mentally, I was upset that I didn't finish it (then). I had to get angry to find the energy to come back," he said after coming from a break down to storm the final set.

"I was playing flat, I knew I had to do something.

"My opponent was very brave, he went for his shots, came to the net and made it difficult."

Monfils' performance dipped drastically after ripping through the opening set in 23 minutes, losing the second and re-discovering his game only just in time to claim the victory.

In the end it took nearly two hours for the world number 23 to beat Berankis, ranked 113 in the world and playing his first quarter-final since October.

Roger Federer continues his chase for his 100th career title later on Thursday when he takes on Hungarian Marton Fucsovics.

Results from the ATP Dubai Championships on Thursday (x indicates seeding):  

Quarter-finals

Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE